Tag Archive for bemba

Bemba Lesson 10 – At the Hospital

Some of the terms you are likely to come across at the clinic or hospital:     Good morning = Mwashibukeni    Good evening = Cungulopo mukwai    How are you? = Mulishani?    What brings you to the clinic today? = Cinshi camuleta kuno cipatala    ilelo?     Photo by Giuseppe Bollanti Do you have…

Zambian Marriage Traditions

Icilanga Mulilo ceremony - The Shibukombe - Mr Dyson Chalwe

The Symbolic Banquets of the Bembas  Zambia is a country of diverse cultures that have successfully existed side by side in harmony. Credit must go to all the political leaders who have continued the “One Zambia, One Nation” policy initiated by Dr Kenneth Kaunda (the first Zambian President) after independence.  In the 1930s, copper was…

The Linux to Bemba Translation Project

Can you say to your mobile phone in Bemba, "Ita ba yama" (Call uncle) and your phone responds,  "Ê mukwai, ndeita ba yama" (Yes sir/mam. Calling uncle)?  Is it possible to command your computer in Bemba? The answer is "Yes" according to Anthony Musaluke. He has been quietly working at translating Linux into Bemba for several years.…

A Grammar of the Bemba Language – by Schoeffer – Book Review

A Grammar of the Bemba Language - Schoffer

Book Title: A Grammar of the Bemba Language as Spoken in North East Rhodesia Author: Rev. Father Schoeffer Edited by J.H. West Sheane, B.A. (Native Commissioner, B.S.A. Company, N.E.R.) Arranged with preface by A.C. Madan Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1907 ISBN: 9781146012799   A Grammar of the Bemba Language as Spoken in Northern Rhodesia was…

Bemba Lesson 5 – Family Relationships

Like all Zambian communities, the Bemba people have a close-knitted extended family life. This is reflected in the detailed terminology used to describe interpersonal relationships. An example of this is the fact that the terms to describe uncles and aunties refer to them as "small father" or "small mother."  Cousins are effectively referred to as…

The Internet In Bemba, Lozi and Nyanja

Sometimes the gap between language and concepts is so wide that it becomes a problem when people try to come up with words for brand new concepts. Most Zambian languages have very few scientific terms. It is no wonder, then , that when it comes to the rapidly evolving internet, the gap is even wider.

20 – Learn To Speak Bemba Online Using The Bible

The Holy Bible is a revered book of devotion for inspiration and instruction. It can also help you learn to speak Bemba! The method outlined below is improvised from what is available on the internet at the moment. If you have any suggestions on how this method can be improved on, please feel free to…